16.5 Weeks Weigh In

Here is the latest photo of my expanding waistline. The funny thing is I think I have gotten even bigger since this was taken just a few days ago!

I have my first Centering appointment next week. So funny but I feel like a kid going to class for the first time...am I going to be able to find the right place, will the other ladies like me, will I ask a stupid question. So silly! I will let you know how it goes. I hope to make my ultrasound appointment then as well so definitely stay tuned for that one.

Christmas in Eatonville

Nick and I were graciously welcomed to family dinner yesterday at Shanna's mom's home in Eatonville WA. (Explanation of family tree if you need it - Shanna is Nick's brother Josh's wife and we went to her mom's).

Dinner was delicious, the gift giving was very fun and we really had a great time.

Here is the view of Ranier from the living room:


Here is the London clan in force:


As an aside....to add even more Holiday excitement we made it 3 1/2 hours towards home to find that the highway had been closed for a manhunt. Wow! It was back-roads to Brightwood and double locked doors last night.

Was It Dolly In The Pasture With A Jersey Giant Club?

Okay folks, again we are in need of your opinion/speculation. Yesterday Nick went out to the side pasture where we keep the farm critters and found:

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B: Close Up


Where on Earth did these feathers come from? All our girls are perfectly unruffled and none have feathers this size and color. There is no blood. There are no wild birds of this color and size. There are more feathers at various spots around the yard. It is so crazy!

I am convinced Dolly was witness to a horrible crime as she was extra skittish this morning. Nick disagrees, but also does not have an explanation. What could have happened???? Here are some possible scenarios and you can vote via comments (like American Idol):

1) Luke finally got the "Big One".
2) Loretta aka Fatty goat finally got her revenge for every morsel of food those stupid chickens have stolen from her.
3) There was some sort of ritual bird sacrifice performed by the chickens Tuesday night at midnight.
4) Nick was sleep walking with his feather pillow.
5) Practical joke from the neighbors kid.
6) Boa remnants from the local gay bar brawl.

Feel free to write in.

Baby Stuff

Nick and I have been tossing around ideas of what to do for the nursery: decals, modern abstract bedding etc. The one common theme is that we do not want a "theme" and I am not up for painting.

So, the walls will remain tan/brown/mocha. However...I recently dicovered this awesome artist on etsy - Udonchow and think her prints would be wonderful in the babies room. This image below is an example of an original from her store but she has lots of great prints that are cheap.

What do you the internet audience think? I am thinking a group of her prints to hang and that way we can do just some colorful bedding and curtains. Help!

CERAMICS!

Nick recently got a NEW KILN! This is super exciting as his other kiln was one we bought off of Crsigslist that had seen better days even when it was "new" to us. At this point the bottom is totally rusted through, the coils constantly have to be put back in place and since it is a manual fire...each fire requires that Nick spend 8 hours babysitting it trying to moderate the temperature.

Not with the new baby!


Now he is able to fire inside (he bought the enviro vent) which is better for him and the kiln. Plus, since this one is relatively more efficent we can actually turn on a couple of lights while it is going. The best thing though is that since it can fire alone he has been running it overnight as to put the least tax on the house's electrical system.

He has already done one huge bisque fire so today is the pit fire:




We received some very good news last week from a local gallery that one of Nick's Mount Hood tiles had sold. We are hoping this is setting the scene for a great 2010!

How You KNow You Aren't In Brooklyn Anymore....

Yesterday Nick spent all day with his logger friend planting trees. Gotta love that statement! Aparently showing up listening to NPR with an artist in tow really blew the socks off of the erosion specialist who was braced for your "typical" logger coming out. She should have known better once she heard they were from the mountain!

After a long, wet, muddy day nothing cures you like a good drink so they headed to the local tavern. Upon arriving Nick sees a HORSE tied up outside. We may be in a small town but it is not everyday there is a horse at the bar. Even better is that they worried about him out front so he was moved to the outdoor patio area until his owner was ready to go. I wish I had a picture!!

The Best Part of Cabin Fever

A longtime friend of mine has a wonderful blog detailing her life and most importantly her journey through adopting a child from Africa. She is an excellent writer and it is always a great read. A few months ago she wrote about her love of learning and passion for reading. That is something I can definitely relate to. My mother has always been a wonderful example of being a lifelong learner and I think it has had a profoundly positive influence on me and the person I have become.

As the days get darker and shorter I am finding more and more time to get back into my favorite past-time of reading. I dusted off my library card and last weekend blew through The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. The dust cover said it was a book you couldn't put down and that was you wouldn't be able to put down. They were absolutely right.

Now I have moved on to a couple of recommendations from another blog I enjoy, Dooce. She has put together some wonderful Christmas gift idea lists and since I do not have the pleasure of being a full time blogger I will merely link to her: Holiday for Him, Holiday for Her: Homegoods and Holiday for Her: Accessories and Clothing.

The first book I finished yesterday was Hillbilly Gothic: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood. This book chronicles Adrienne Martini's struggle with postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. It takes you from conception to loony-bin and back again. Her own mood disorder causes her to take a closer look at her family's history and she pieces together the signs that she is genetically predisposed to this happening. Really tough subject explored with a wit and honesty I couldn't resist.

My book for today is The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. This book takes a look at the Middle Place - "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap" and how she fully transitions to "adulthood" after a diagnosis of breast cancer. We will see how it turns out but I am thinking this will be another page turner.

In case you couldn't tell, my favorite books allow me to express my inner voyeur. As someone who has always sort-of winged it through life (with a total type-a plan of course) I am always curious about how other people are making their way through their own life experiment.

What are your favorite books? It is a long winter up here and I will need something to ready before little London arrives!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I must admit that I am a big fan of the Christmas holiday traditions. The smell of those cinnamon pine cones in the store makes my heart flutter with excitement. So, although I am in the throes of a nasty cold Nick lovingly obliged to go get me a Christmas tree. Obviously living in NYC all those years we did not often have a tree and I had NEVER cut one down myself until last year.

We found a really nice tree farm outside of Sandy and cut down a very cute 5 footer. I find 5 feet to be the perfect height for all things wonderful.

Here I am trying to make it look like Nick made the pregnant woman cut the tree down:


Here he is actually doing all the work:

Note that he is unable to look at the camera as he is actually working!

There was one CRAZY looking tree that Nick really wanted us to bring home. On which protuberance do you put the star on this thing?


After much chainsawing and swearing Nick got the tree up for me. I put on all the lights and decorations:


I think it is a keeper!

13.5 Weeks

I have had lots of requests for pics of my growing physique so here you go:

Note the awesome "fat girl" jeans. They have been a life saver.This picture was taken right before I sat down to the bourbon glazed ham and leeks au-gratin I made for dinner.

BONSAI!

On Thanksgiving Nick and I developed cabin fever while waiting for the chicken to cook so we decided to go for a drive. Nick took me by a house that has the MOST AMAZING Bonsai. It is right by the driveway and huge. The pics don't do it justice but you can get the idea....

The Aftermath

After a long Thanksgiving day of begging, being underfoot and passing from one chew toy to another the London Acres indoor animals are all pooped out!



What a life!

Happy Thanksgiving - Have A Little Pig!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Nick and I have been so blessed this year by so many and are truly thankful.

The T-Day chicken is in the crockpot and the gingerbread flavoring is in my coffee. What a wonderful day!

In case you are in need of something for that special someone check out Nick's adorable new pig piece on etsy:


Yes, it is a Truck inspired piece!

What A Wonderful Day!

First off I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful husband! I received the best present today when I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. The nurse found it right away and it was 160bpm. I was so happy I cried! More wonderfulness to come I am sure!

Go OREGON!

Yesterday was a wonderful whirlwind Saturday! I went out with a girlfriend for some bargain shopping (finally finished for Nick's Birthday) and sushi. We (I) ate soo much but it was too delicious to exercise any restraint! After our outing I headed home and rounded up Nick so we could go back to my friend's house to watch the Oregon Arizona game. I am by default a Oregon State fan (it was easier to stick with orange and black OSU-Oklahoma State, my alma mater) but as I now live in Oregon you have to stick by your home team. Again we (I) ate to excess - steaks, baked potatoes, chips and dip... and had a great time watching the game. The game was a real nail biter went into second overtime. Here is the ESPN recap if you are into that sort of thing. Now it all rides on Civil War for Oregon so watch out!!!

Snow On The Valley

Our house is at a low enough elevation that we do not yet have snow in the front yard but from our kitchen window you can see it accumulating on the valley.


Here is the webcam from Ski Bowl which is about 15 mins from our house. Today is their first day open.

Timberline opened earlier and has a 60" base.

Nick has secured an interior painting job at SkiBowl next week with the added benefit of a season pass so he is super excited. He may even try to ski! I will be keeping the peanut warm by enjoying the hot cocoa from the lodge this season.

Let There Be Light

We are constantly fighting the ever diminishing daylight this winter so to get the chickens more light Nick put in yet another window. Our neighbor was kind enough to donate the window and Nick did a great job of getting it in. He also added more lights so it is really much brighter in the barn and the animals do seem to enjoy it.

Goats!

There was FINALLY a little sun yesterday so Nick and I got to spend some time with the outdoor critters.

Here is nick attempting to get his goats to dance:


Then, because we are just soooo mean, we decided it was time to cut of Dolly's forehead poof. It had really gotten quite long and was constantly getting debris caught in it and making it hard for her to see. She was not too happy about it but we did manage to cut it off. Here is Nick spinning the fiber by hand. Dolly has such beautiful B fiber that really spins easily even just by hand.

Rock Stack

Nick took some really nice pictures of his ceramic rock-stack for his Etsy site, thought I would share:

Kitty Surprise!

The other day I was busy putting away the laundry and I do remember thinking...that's weird I haven't seen Luke in a while. Luke is usually a pretty reliable cat, if it is chilly outside during the day he is on a bed pillow somewhere. I kept folding and began putting clothes away. As I opened the last drawer....

there he was! The funniest thing is that the drawer was COMPLETELY closed before I found him. There is a small open space in the closet beside the built in and I guess he managed to squeeze in somehow.

Thankful!

Just a quick post to let everyone know (in the spirit of Thanksgiving) that I am very thankful for my wonderfully handy husband. Yesterday the heater went out on my car (as I was driving to work). I was hopeful it was a fuse but after 15 minutes of futzing in the WalMart parking lot after work I was sad to discover this was not the case.

Nick lovingly let me drive his baby to work today so that he could take a look. He was able to figure out that it was the fan motor that was the problem. THEN he was able to repair it as well. Now he just needs to borrow my "monkey paws" when I get home to get it back ito place.

I never say it enough with the day to day stresses of life so here for everyone to see - I LOVE YOU and thank you very much for all you do (even when I forget to say it out loud). Thanks darlin'!

Too Beautiful To Not Share

After what seems like weeks of rain, it was so nice to see the sun in the sunrise this morning. From the back porch:

A Really Good Excuse

I would like to apologize for my recent blog neglect. The problem is that well, I just haven't felt up to do much worth blogging about. And that is because I am PREGNANT!

How I found out is actually kind-of a funny story. Nick and I had been trying but were still early in the trying process. Who knew all that rhythm method stuff could be so complicated?! Hippies do it all the time, how could I find it so hard? After years on "the pill" I was still trying to figure out what my normal cycle may be so when fertility friend (thanks for the site recommendation V) told me I was late I wasn't very excited. Then I spoke with my best friend since middle school who couldn't believe I hadn't taken a test yet. I assured her it was just my crazy cycle and we moved on. Well ALL NIGHT all I could think of was what Gretchen had said. Finally a little after 5am I couldn't stand it. It took the test and it was IMMEDIATELY positive. I begin jumping up and down, run into the bedroom and wake Nick up with "we are having a baby". Of course his response is "are you sure" followed by "why did you take the test so early". Typical man.

So that was it. I did actually take another test and yep we are knocked up. Here I am on the phone with Gretchen documenting the positive test:


I am due June 9th and we are sooo very excited! I will keep you posted.

The Family That Shakes Together....

The final piece to prepare the barn for winter was to finish the windows for above the barn doors. You may remember that Nick framed out the glass panels a while back, so we just needed to complete the actual install.

The only problem once the windows were installed (there is always ONE MORE thing) was what to do about the space to each side of the window. Plywood panels? That would be way too plain for our barn! That is when Nick came up with the idea that we could make our own cedar shakes and do shake panels on either side of the window.

Here is a shot of Nick surrounded by the cedar shakes we had axed off of our cedar log and applying them to the plywood:


Here are the finished panels:


Here is everything installed:


It is much warmer and a little dryer inside now, not that the animals have thanked us!

Go Coho!

Since Nick just can't get enough of the northwest salmon we headed to the Sandy Oregon Fish Hatchery at Cedar Creek this weekend.

The number of fish fighting their way up Cedar Creek to try and get into the hatchery was amazing to say the least.

Here you can see some of the coho who were repeatedly scaling the waterfall right outside the penned in areas.

The pens had been closed off as they were at maximum capacity. Fish scale to scale as far as the eye could see!

Nick just happened to have his rod in the car so we made our way down to the creek to see if anything was biting. Nick fished for a bit but didn't manage to snag one. Several people were packing out fish so they were definitely there, snagging them in the mouth is the hardest part.


On the hike back there was an amazing view of the mountain across Cedar Creek Ranch's open field. This picture really doesn't do it justice but the camera was trying to die while Nick took it.

Fall In Brightwood

Yesterday was one of those "perfect fall days" I always wish I could bottle for later continued enjoyment. Nick and I worked on some barn projects and while on break I got some great shots of fall around the property.

Most of our trees around the house are evergreen but we do have a couple of maples. Here is the bright yellow on display in the side yard:


These shaggy mane mushrooms have been popping up all around the side pasture. The chickens seem to enjoy pecking them.


The little maple by the front of the house is giving off a beautiful display as well:

Woodland Man Bag

The other night I came home to find Nick slaving away at my sewing machine. Nick does not sew often but when he does the results are usually pretty "amazing". I have to admit though that this is his best fabric creation yet:



You may be thinking - what the heck is that? N0, it is not a utilitarian man bag. It's a fabric wood carrier! We do a lot of wood balancing and schlepping so this will be a huge help. I didn't have anyone around to model (Scraps just wouldn't hold still) so I apologize for the not so great photo. Also, I KNOW we need to finish the wainscoting on that side of the wall!

BrewFest!

Last night Nick and I went to a culinary showcase of sorts at our favorite local Mexican restaurant, El Loco Burro. If you have ever visited us I am SURE we took you there and the food is so amazing you never forget. Last night was a special showcase put on by the owner/chef to showcase his culinary talents outside of the Mexican realm.

The dinner was served family style which was very fun! We were at a six top with two other couples who were very interesting. We had a world traveling masseuse in our midst as well as a math teacher and pharmacist. The best part was were were all animal enthusiasts and that common thread led to many entertaining tales.

The meal consisted of five courses and each was paired with a beer to compliment its particular flavoring.

The first dish was Marzen-steamed mussels with leeks & crositini. Steamed mussels are one of my favorite dishes so this was a huge hit. It really reminded my of the West Village Bier Garden we used to visit after work and all those goods friends I miss so much. The beer was a delicious Bavarian brew - Brauerei Aying.

Next was Risotto with a local blend of wild mushrooms, finished with parmesan regianno and crispy shallots . The risotto had just the right texture and was topped with chanterelles the chef and friends had picked this weekend. The shallot were perfectly crisped and reminded me of those yummy fried onions that top green bean casserole at Christmas. The beer was Hales Cream HSB from Hale's Ales in Seattle WA.

Hailbut with herb butter roasted halibut over provencal vegetables was next. The fish was good but I have to say that my own version of herbed butter is more to my liking. The beer was Killer Green Fresh-Hopped IPA from Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River OR.

After that was the Gnocchi with duck confit, pomdoraccio, herbs and goat cheese. I thought this dish was pretty good. Nick's dish came with too much duck and not enough cheese - he was not a fan. The beer was Highway to Ale Barleywine from Beer Valley Brewing Ontario OR. My favorite part of this dish was watching everyone's reaction to the "unique" aftertaste of the barleywine.

Dessert was caramelized pear creme brulee. Now it was my turn to get the "just okay dish". Nick's was piping hot and delicious, mine was lukewarm and not so great. The beer was Cuvee du Jongleur from Cascade Brewing in Beaverton OR. Just pronouncing the name of this last brew provided some great entertainment!

All in all the showcase was quite a success. It was very fun to be able to something a little out of the ordinary and yet close to home. And the company was great!

Life's A Circus

Last night Nick and I met up with an old high school friend April for dinner and the circus. Let me set the scene of this reunion for you. I have been in desperate need of a haircut and very short on cash for quite some time now. My girlfriend recommended a friend who is finishing up beauty school. The price was right and it is only hair so I agreed to go. I did get a nice cut - a little too much off in some places, but again it will grow. When she finished my hair and heard I was on my way to dinner she offered/decided to do my makeup as well. I am not a make up girl. So fast forward a couple hours and there I am to reconnect with April with tons of mousse in my hair and what feels like enough makeup to make Tammy Faye actually blush on my face. I immediately apologized for my appearance and I hope she doesn't think I look like that all the time. When Nick saw me he immediately asked "Are we late for prom?". Awesome!

Before the circus we went to eat at a GREAT Mexican dive joint called Ole Frijole. With a name like that you know it has got to be good! The prices were less than Taco Bell and the food was homemade - YUM! April chauffeured us around in her loaner beater Nova which was half the fun as well.

After dinner we headed to Circus Artemis for an all woman aerial show. I had hoped to get some pics but no photography allowed - sorry. Those women are amazing! There was silk, single and double point trapeze, aerial ladder and strap performances just to name a few. The final strap performer was amazing! Strap is like the rings in the Olympics but no rings just loops on the ends. Her body was one lean muscle and her control was amazing! If the show comes to your town you MUST go check it out.

Shear Excitement!

We finally did it - we sheared the goats yesterday! I think the hardest part was wrestling them into the truck by myself. They are all officially naked. The babies were very vocal but all survived. They did have a case of lice so our "goat mentor" friends who did the actuall shearing for us were also kind enough to mix up some dip for us and they got a dowsing yesterday and I will repeat it in two weeks.

Here was Dolly in all her fuzzy glory before being clipped:


Here she is getting blown out:


Now she is naked!




We are going to send Dolly's fiber in with our friends for processing. I should have shots of the beautiful finished fiber in a few months. Spinning anyone??

Bend Bliss

We are back from our whirlwind tour of Bend! It was a mad dash for the door (okay several mad dashes as we kept remembering things we had forgotten) after work yesterday but we made it on the road about 4:30pm. The film began at 8pm so I had the petal to the metal in the GEO as we rounded Mount Hood.

We make one pit stop, for some human fuel in Madras. When we vacationed at Lake Billy Chinook this summer we were super excited to see that there was a Sonic in Madras (the next closest Sonic is in VAncouver WA) and then super disappointed when we got closer and saw that it was still under construction. This time it was open! I was slightly discouraged when I saw that they did not offer the Hickory Burger. Maybe that is a regional OK offering? I made due with a toaster burger with hickory sauce and it was pretty close. YUM!

Next stop was the McMenamins Old St Francis School where The Skyjacker was screening as part of the Bend Film festival. Amazingly we made it with a few minutes to spare so we enjoyed the Octoberfest brew at the bar and then joined the Director, Jeff Pickett, his mom and her husband to enjoy the show.

There were two shorts before the film: Death in Charge and Miracle Investigators. Death in Charge is an ironic look at death through both the eyes of a modern day child and Death when the child's harried single mom leaves her in the care of Death as a babysitter for the evening. Miracle Investigators is a very humorous look at the "miracles" that appear and are endorsed by the Catholic Church. It felt to me to be very much in the same vein as Shaolin Soccer so of course I was a fan!

The Skyjacker was a really interesting film inspired by the story of D.B. Cooper. The timing was fantastic and we can't wait to see Nature when it is complete. The film was well attended and the audience has some great questions - way to go Jeff!

After the film Jeff's family was kind enough to let us crash at their place on Crooked River Ranch which was amazing. We played pool in the game room and got a chance to view some of Jeff's mom's bronze work which was amazing. The sun glinting off of the Deschutes River this morning was so beautiful. We wish we could have stayed longer but we left Scraps in charge of the farm and really needed to hit the road early. Next time!

Bend Or Bust!

Nick and I are headed out for a whirlwind tour of Bend for the Bend Film Festival. The director Jeff Pickett who we met through Nick working with his crew on their recent Mount Hood shoot has a film in the festival and we promised to check it out. Over the Mountain we go!

Barn Beautification

The overnight lows will be dipping into the thirties this weekend and Nick has been working very hard to tie up the final loose ends of our barn beautification project.

We were very blessed by the fact that our property came with a two stall barn already on it but it had not been upkept very well. There was no front door at all and the stalls were completely open which is just not safe for our smaller livestock (the previous owners had horses).

Nick and I have enclosed the side alcove so the animal can be "outside" but protected from the elements and predators. We modified one stall into a chicken coop with nesting boxes built in and wire enclosing. Then we put in additional windows to provide more light.

Nick built the most beautiful (and HEAVY) cedar doors for the front which are my favorite part:



Now he has purchased glass panes and made the frame for the windows that are going to go up top above the door to help keep it warmer inside.

Can't Win 'Em All

We have been dealing with a VERY sick goat the past 48 hours. Our mama Pygora "Dolly" was her usual happy self Sunday and then Monday morning I awoke to her obviously suffering from a very intense bout of gastroenteritis. It was a big mess and she looked awful - droopy ears, staggering, glassy eyes. It was horrible! It is no secret that Nick and I are NOT goat experts. However, we do our best.

Our goat mentors had referred us to a great book of homeopathic remedies called The Complete Herbal Handbook For Farm and Stable and I remembered it recommended slippery elm for treating scours. I mixed it up according to the directions and administered it to Dolly orally using a turkey baster. Luckily she was too sick to put up much of a fight. Within a few hours she took a couple sips of water but no food.

This morning she was looking more alert and put up more of a fight when I had to give her the "medicine". And to our enormous relief she was eating this afternoon and looking almost 100% by the time I made it home. We are very thankful!



I had asked Nick to please keep me posted throughout the day as to how Dolly was doing. He sent me a text that she was eating mid morning and then late afternoon I got a really funny email. The subject said "you saved the goat but lost a dog. Then I opened it and there is no text but a pic attached entitled deaddog.jpg. I opened it.....


Hysterical! This is Craps passed out in the fall sunshine in the backyard! He was such a good dog - LOL.

(disclaimer - it is a weird shot and it looks like he has a huge deformed stomach but he does not it is actually his extremely large chicken chest)

Wainscoting - the poor man's way!

One of the many mid-way completed projects around our house is the wainscoting. We made some major progress this weekend by getting all the frame pieces cut as we gear up for winter interior project tackling. In our defense we have made some major progress in the 11 months since we moved in!

Here is a shot of the living room before:



We tore out the carpet and laid laminate, took down the entry way wall, removed the pellet stove, installed a wood stove, re-painted and have half of the room covered in handmade wainscoting.

An "after" shot (before wainscoting):


How does one obtain "handmade wainscoting" you ask? Well, you start with sheets of mdf that you cut into the baseboards and framing pieces:



Inside the frame you install thin drywall as backing and then edge the interior of each rectangle and the entire top rail with trim. To add an extra level of fun do all this without a mider saw!

The "finished" product (note Nick's glass sconce):



It is a major feature of the room that we love. We do now own a mider saw so hopefully this winter will see to the completion of this project. We have the other half of the living room, kitchen and hallway to complete. Wish us luck!